Remember
your words
can plant gardens
or burn
whole forest down.
~Gemma troy
_____________________________

"I love you. I knew it has to be you by my side the moment I saw you. Wherever I am, I always think of you" he finally confessed his love for Bushra. And to say Bushra was shocked would be an understatement.

"You love me? Do you even know what love is? I do not even know who you are and you don't go around hurting people you love. I already love someone else Mr. Aurang" she let out a bitter chuckle.

"You think that lover boy Junaid really likes you even after knowing that he's getting engaged to Fiza next month, he hasn't told his parents or anyone about you. Stop falling for someone who cannot be yours Bushra" he taunted her back.

No Bushra he is just playing with your mind. Junaid doesn't even know about Fiza's proposal or else he would have told about the engagement part. He just wants to manipulate you and win over you.

But matter of factly she knew that he was correct. Wasn't she falling for someone who she knew had no future with her. Wasn't it unrequited love?

"Where do you think you're going Mr. Ikram? That's not the route to my hostel!" she was busy in her thoughts that she didn't observe him taking another route. Oh for real he is kidnapping me, she thought. She started to panic.

"That road was blocked due to construction work, so I'm taking another route. Relax I'm not kidnapping you, I'm just dropping you to your room"

"I do not trust you Mr. Aurang. Please stop the car. I'm..I'm scared"

"I wouldn't hurt you Bushra. I mean it when I say I love you" he reached out for her hand but she immediately pulled her hand away from his grip.

"I don't care if you love me or hate me. Just stop the car right now. Stop behaving like an obsessive person"

"I love you and I want you. You hear me? I'm done. I'm not giving up on you. I do not want to have a life without you" she could see the wheels turning in his head.

"Stop acting like a psycho Ikram. I do not love you! Why don't you just understand this. You don't love me, you're just obsessed with me" she yelled at the top of her voice and he speeds up the car.

"Do you have a death wish?" she screamed at him. She was scared of rash driving. It reminded her of bitter memories of her brother's death.

There were tears in her red rimmed eyes.

"We could've died" she again yelled at him. She was hyperventilating.

He didn't know why she was reacting like that. "listen.. " he started but she cut him off again.

"Stop!"
"Please just stop the car right now!"
He immediately stopped the car on the side and looked at her. She was shivering and slumped back exhausted on her seat. She was clutching the seat belt tightly as her life depended on it.

She had flashbacks of her brother's accident and his death.

Everyone is secretly healing from something.

"Bushra it's alright. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. I'm really sorry. Please don't cry" he knew she was shaken and he slowly embraced her.

Once she realised how wrong it was, she immediately pulled back from the hug. Shock plastered on her face. But it was too late as someone had already seen them sharing that moment.

Once she pulled back, he started driving the car again but on a normal speed and parked outside her hostel.

"Okay now listen to me carefully. Get back to your room and start preparing for your exams. I do not want you to stay in contact with Junaid and get ready to accept my proposal which I've sent it to your parents" he smirked and his smirk grew wider when he saw Junaid seeing them together outside her hostel.

"No I won't. You do not decide anything about my life. Please for Allah's sake stay away from me and let me live my life"

"That's not gonna happen baby" he chuckled taking her hand in his for the second time that night.

She cringed at the endearment and pulled her hand from his grip scowling and rushed out of his car and went to her hostel room. She was shaken from today's incident. She wished she could share it with Zaiba but she didn't want to put her friends into trouble.

★｡+ﾟ☆ﾟ+｡★

"So you're seeing someone now?" junaid stops her on the way to class.

"What do you mean Junaid?" she was taken back by his question.

"I saw you with someone yesterday. I was Soo worried about you and you were out with some guy? You could have at least informed me Bushra"

"That's none of your business junaid. It shouldn't bother you who ever I go out with" she started walking but then stop in her tracks hearing his confession.

"None of my business you say? I love you, Bushra. A lot. More then I've loved anyone in my life. Sometimes it scares me, I do not want to screw up what we have. I just hope whatever we had I don't ruin it but the truth is I love you Bushra. I really love you. You are my first and last love. I fell for you the moment I saw you in college. I've been loving you secretly but now I think it's time to take this ahead" he poured his heart out to her.

"Well you've already ruined it for us Junaid. I've never seen you more than a friend. You will always remain my friend" she was finally happy that he had proposed. She knew it had taken a lot from him to confess his love out to her. She had always waited for this moment but she couldn't accept it. She knew it was wrong and she decided to break his heart with her lie.

"Stop lying to yourself and me Bushra. I know you like me too. I can see it in your eyes" he was taken back by her out burst. He knew somewhere even she had liked him a bit.

"Well then I think you need to get your eyes checked because I do not love you. And congratulations, I heard you're getting engaged to Fiza next week. And now please stop following me around like a lost puppy and go confess your love Fiza. I think she deserves it more than me"

"What are you talking about. You've got it all wrong. I'm not getting engaged to Fiza and you know I don't even like her. I Love You Okay!, why don't you just understand. If you're doing this all because of Fiza than I won't let that happen Bushra. I do not like her and I think it's time I talk to my mom and bhai about it. I do not want to marry her"

"Junaid I think it's better if you just stay away from me. I do not want to get into a haram relationship with you"

"Where was your halal and haram when you hugged that guy yesterday?"

She knew he was right. She knew she had made a mistake by hugging back Ikram but it came out, out of instincts. She knew it was haram and she was guilty about it.

He saw guilt crossing over her facial expressions and it hurt him to see her like that, "We could make this halal, Bushra. I can talk to your parents. I'll talk to mom and bhai. We can get married" he continued.

"Stop! Why don't you just understand. I do not like you Junaid. I've always considered you as my friend. I think it's better if we stop meeting. I think it's better if we just stop being friends"

"You cannot do this to me Bushra. You're just not in a right state of mind to make that decision right now"

He knew he couldn't force his love on her, so he calmed down a bit and then he reached out gently towards her. "come with me Bushra. Please don't do this to me and yourself. You'll end up hurting both of us"

She looked away with tears in her eyes, "I can't". She whispered breaking his heart and moved away from him.

★｡+ﾟ☆ﾟ+｡★

Later that evening just outside college she saw Junaid and Fiza and it looked like they were fighting over something. She wanted to stop them but she remembered her promise to herself. She had promised to stay away from both of them. She looked away.

She saw junaid leaving and Fiza coming towards her. By the looks of it, Bushra knew Fiza wasn't happy and was angry.

"Do you like junaid?" This question from Fiza had caught her off-guard. Was it that obvious to the world that she liked him a little? But she couldn't tell this to Fiza, she was his fiancee.

"Stay away from him Bushra. He's mine and only mine. We will be engaged soon. I do not want any trouble"

"Well it's not my fault, if he keeps coming behind me even if I ask him to stay away. I've learnt about all the games you've been playing. Finally the manipulative b*tch in you won Fiza. I won't let you play anymore games with me and Junaid"

Fiza came forward and raised her hand to slap Bushra but her hand was caught in a tight grip. She looked at the person and saw a guy holding her hand. She didn't know who he was.

"You raise your hand once again on her and the world will forget that you even existed" he pushed her hand away.

Ikram turned towards Bushra and said, "You See this is why I told you to stay away from him. I'm not listening to anymore of your bullshit and you're coming with me and that final" saying this be dragged her towards his car and locked it.

Fiza saw this as an opportunity and a new plan cooked in her mind.

─── ❖ ── ✦ ── ❖ ───

Assalamu alaikum everyone

Hey how are y'all doing?

Where do you think he is taking Bushra?

What do you think Fiza is planning?

Ikram or junaid? Even though I know your answer.

Next kya hone wala hai mujhe b nai malum🙊😂 thoda thoda malum hai but Kuch Likha nai hai😆

Your fav story so far? Mine would always be Ruhaniyat💖

Stay safe and keep smiling

~Huda_Fatima.